Does Alcohol Cause Hair Loss?
Male pattern hair loss is something that can impact men from all walks of life. If you find yourself in a position where you’ve started shedding significant amounts of hair, you may already have started to research the potential causes. Doing so often leads people to question the role that alcohol plays in male pattern baldness. But is there any substance to the claims that alcohol causes hair loss? Let’s find out.
The relationship between hair loss and alcohol
There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that normal levels of alcohol consumption lead to male pattern hair loss, or any other hair loss condition. Therefore, the occasional glass of wine or a few beers with your mates at the pub won’t cause your hair to fall out. However, excessive drinking can inadvertently contribute to the deterioration of the health of your hair, as we explore below.
Nutritional deficiencies caused by alcohol
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol has been shown to reduce the number of digestive enzymes released by your pancreas. In some instances, this can impact your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients that are found in foods. For your hair to grow, you’re reliant on Vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, as well as other nutrients like zinc. It stands to reason that if your body is unable to absorb these vital nutrients, it could impact the quality and even the quantity of your hair..
However, there is currently no evidence to suggest that nutritional deficiencies cause male pattern hair loss. Rather, if you suffer from nutritional deficiency, you’re more likely to be affected by a condition known as telogen effluvium, or hair shedding. This is significant because the condition reduces your scalp coverage and may even make your hair lose some of its thickness.
What about smoking?
Even if you don’t smoke cigarettes regularly, social smoking still has an impact on your health. A study found that smokers are more likely to experience hair loss and premature greying. The researchers suggest that this is likely a result of the impact that smoking has on the structure of your DNA. If you have fallen into the habit of smoking socially when you’re drinking alcohol, it’s important to consider the impact it could have on hair loss and try to change your habits.
What else causes male pattern hair loss?
While we’ve shown that alcohol may indirectly lead to hair loss, it’s not one of the primary causes of male pattern hair loss. Hair loss is primarily caused by the hormone DHT, which attaches itself to your hair follicles and makes them shrink. As a result, your hair becomes thinner and shorter, until it eventually dies out and can’t grow back. So, while alcohol may play a small and indirect part in male pattern hair loss, it’s insignificant when compared to the damage caused by DHT.
How do you treat hair loss?
There are only two medications that have been scientifically proven to treat male pattern hair loss - Finasteride and Minoxidil. At Sons, our Full Treatment Hair Loss Plan combines both Finasteride and Minoxidil to give you the best possible chance of combatting male pattern hair loss. Our treatment also contains DHT blocking shampoo and Biotin tablets, which may also contribute to the healthy regrowth of your hair.
Learn more about how our treatments are effective in 9/10 men and take some action to combat male pattern hair loss today. While it’s important to limit your alcohol consumption for a range of other health reasons, doing so is unlikely to help you regrow your hair.
All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.
